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Only 47% of employees strongly agree they know what is expected of them at work. 

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Only 47% of employees strongly agree they know what is expected of them at work. 

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2% of CHROs Think Their Performance Management System Works

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A Gallup survey of CHROs from Fortune 500 companies reveals a pressing need to build performance management systems that actually inspire employees.

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About the author:Ally JonesCo-founder at CoachableMulti-award winning coach, facilitator and learning experience designer.

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Coachable Thinking > 20 Coaching Questions to Use in Performance Conversations

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It’s that time of year again when we dread those annual performance review conversations. Well fear not, we’ve got 20 coaching questions to help you turn it from a middle of the road review to a constructive coaching conversation. Get stuck in.

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The Possible Self | A Leaders Guide to Professional Development Book Summary

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The Possible Self | A Leaders Guide to Professional Development Book Summary

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The Possible Self | A Leaders Guide to Professional Development

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How Individual Advance at Buffer, Without Becoming Managers

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How Individual Advance at Buffer, Without Becoming Managers

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Buffer: All-you-need social media toolkit for small businesses

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The concept of a career path at Buffer has changed a lot over the past seven years.

We've gone through various phases as an organization: beginning as an early-stage startup where everyone did a bit of everything, then to a period when we decided against having managers and leaned into a flat structure, and now to a lean level of management within a more traditional structure.

Currently, we're an 80-person team. And we're expecting to grow some, but not rapidly in the coming years.

As such, we've been asking ourselves, "What does a career path look like for someone at Buffer?"

At the core of this question is the unspoken acknowledgement that it's often unclear how to level up when your team size isn't scaling up. Not everyone can be a manager, especially when the team isn't expanding. So how does a teammate grow beyond her or his current role?
Is it possible to grow horizontally rather than vertically?
To answer this, leaders on a few of our teams have come together to create a formal career framework that includes growth opportunities beyond the traditional management track. We'd love for individual contributors to have an equal path for furthering their career and developing their skills. Here's what we're trying, what we've learned so far, and how you can get started on your own multifaceted career framework.

A Maker & Manager Career Framework

The two-path framework we've adopted at Buffer

Our previous career framework placed a lot of emphasis on typical career growth paths - moving from one level up to the next, all within clearly benchmarked role descriptions. We didn't have as adequate a solution for managers (of which we had few when Buffer was smaller). And we didn't have clear career progress events for makers who have less interest in traditional people management paths.

Here's a basic look at our previous career framework:

Now we feel we've made some good strides for both managers and makers, as well as giving our teammates more opportunities to be recognized for the great work they're doing.

Our latest version of a career framework includes paths for makers (individual contributors) and for managers, and in addition to traditional, vertical career levels, teammates can now also progress horizontally with steps.
Here is an overview of our current career framework:

To give a couple examples, a newly-promoted Customer Advocate II might be a Maker at Level 2 and Step 1. (Everyone has at least Step 1 on the horizontal Step chart. There is no Step Zero.)

And if someone is an Engineering Manager, they might be a Manager at Level 4, Step 3.

About Levels and Steps
With this latest version of our career framework, we've introduced the following definitions for Levels and Steps.

For a teammate to go from one Level to another is a large and distinct jump in terms of area knowledge, role complexity, and overall scope. It would be what a typical promotion at most companies looks like, and was the traditional framework we were previously using. A change in Level happens through a calibration process and involves our People/Finance team for guidance.

The second part of our framework, the Steps, are horizontal in nature, and there are four housed within each level. These Steps serve as smaller milestones of growth in terms of ownership and initiative. They are not a "progress bar" and are not necessarily meant to be a strictly linear progression; a teammate could potentially advance multiple Steps at once. A change in Step can happen at anytime through each area director's discretion and requires no approval or discussion outside of the area.

Building the Framework

Details on how we determine each teammate's level and step

Below are excerpts from our role leveling and step progression guides. Many elements of these charts have been adapted from Radford, our provider for compensation and role benchmarking. The Step charts are adapted from our own area frameworks as well as other public tech frameworks from likeminded companies like Fog Creek, Medium, and Rent the Runway.

Each chart is reprinted in its entirety below, just as we have it in our team handbook. If you'd like to adapt any of these charts for your own use, we've made them all available in a doc here.

For Makers

While the Level charts are meant to be thoroughly discussed with our People/Finance team before making a move, the Step charts are suggestion only, and area directors can interpret them and/or build onto them, to create area-specific guides with examples and principles that resonate for the work each teammate does.

For Managers

We use a similar chart to assess where a teammate falls on the manager career framework. Here are the four manager levels and what goes into each consideration:

In addition, Managers have a series of Steps, just like Makers. Here is what goes into the Steps for Managers at Buffer.
We'd love to hear about your experience with all things career frameworks in the comments!

Do you have a clear career framework at your company?

Did the Buffer frameworks feel like good solutions to you? What do you like most or what might you do differently?

If you're up for sharing, what level would you put yourself in right now?

(Ed's note: We've updated this blog post from its original 2017 version when our career framework looked different than it does now. If you're looking for that older version, you can find the archived page here. Thanks!)
If you'd like to adapt any of these frameworks for your own use, feel free to copy and paste from the free doc file of the Level and Step charts here.

Over to You
Get started now
Creating career frameworks is part of our work to make sure that Buffer is an equal and fair place to work for all of our teammates, and that everyone understands exactly how to move ahead and grow in their career.

Try Buffer for free

140,000+ small businesses like yours use Buffer to build their brand on social media every month

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How Individuals Advance at Buffer, Without Becoming Managers

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Our newest career framework includes many growth paths for makers and for managers alike. See how we've combined horizontal and vertical growth.

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Forbes: Conquer The End of Year Slump with These Three Questions

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Forbes: Conquer The End of Year Slump with These Three Questions

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3 great answers to bring to your year end conversation

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CESANA SAN SICARIO, ITALY - FEBRUARY 23: Carolyn Treacy of the United States of America lays ... [+]
Getty Images

As we enter the final weeks of 2023, the pace of work will slow down for many workers. We are distracted by holiday planning, interrupted by travel and visitors, or simply thwarted by collaborators who want to delay and circle back in the new year. Some of us are just tired and ready for the year to be over. How can you maximize your productivity when things seem to be winding down?

As an executive coach, I utilize three questions to conquer the commonly experienced "end of year slump." I encourage leaders to take advantage of the slower operational tempo and use the following three questions to assess their own progress or to close out 2023 with their direct reports. Invite your DR to coffee for an informal conversation, use a journal for personal reflection, or find a work buddy and share your responses with each other. Each question has three follow up questions to push you a little deeper to build more awareness.

Question 1: What Was The Most Difficult Challenge You Faced At Work This Year?

What made it so difficult? How did you respond to the challenge? What did you learn about yourself and leadership from this experience?

Question 2: What Did You Find Most Satisfying About Work This Year?

Why was it so personally fulfilling? What does that say about the kind of person you are? What do you want to do to expand on this in the coming year?

Question 3: What Do You Want Professional Growth To Look Like For You In 2024?

How would working on that advance your vision for your career? What resources will you need to achieve that growth? What is the one thing you need to do to get started on that journey?

Many of us struggle to get off the hamster wheel of productivity and know that we need time for strategic thinking and purposeful conversations. But the tyranny of the urgent usually wins out. Wise leadership requires shifting our perspective and valuing the lessons that emerge from times of reflection which can feel less productive. Leaders who embrace this mindset are capable of approaching future challenges with greater awareness and agility.

David Kolb's well-known cycle of experiential learning involves four stages that include concrete experience, reflection on the experience, abstract conceptualization, and commitment to trying new things in the future. Leaders who are committed to ongoing professional growth ascend this developmental spiral by extracting lessons from the past and integrating them into present knowledge and skills.

The year isn't over yet and we can choose to finish strong. As you close out 2023, take time to ask yourself these three questions and remember the words of John Dewey: "We don't learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on our experience."

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Conquer The End of Year Slump with These 3 Questions

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Conquer the end of year slump. As we enter the final weeks of 2023, the pace of work will slow down for many workers.

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Kelly has a timely conversation with Harvard University professor Michèle Lamont to discuss her new book "Seeing Others: How Recognition Works and How it Can Heal a Divided World."

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I think it will surprise people to understand the kind of damage that happens - not just when someone is put down - but when they are not considered or seen at all.

"I'm so glad you're pointing to that piece of evidence, because this is something that many people don't know. And it means that working class people never see positive representations of themselves in the mainstream media. All they see is glorification of rich people or glorification of professionals. I connect this directly with the opioid epidemic and deaths by despair. It's been a story of steady decline for the last 50 years. So the first 2 chapters of the books are really downers, because it explains not only the growing inequality figures you mentioned, but also the way in which a society that is so deeply organized around the celebration of college educated professionals, and managers, is constantly sending to others the notion that they are outside, and that no matter what they do, it's really difficult to feel worthy."

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Also, when people soak in ideas like "grit," they assume that people who are disadvantaged just didn't work as hard as they did or should.

"Yeah, yeah. Because you know the concept of grit as Angela Duckworth formulated is very much, an internal capacity to meet challenges. You know, it also kind of downplays the environmental determinants. So instead, I promote this notion of social resilience, which asks the question, 'How do you create a society that gives people the tools they need to be able to deal with the challenges that come their way.' So that's very different. We can engineer our society differently."

I'm curious how much faith you have in Generation Z around these issues?

"As we all know, the pandemic was really hard on them. Many of them have had mental health issues, and their solution is to create the world they want to live in right now, and not when they are 60. They don't want to jump on the hedonistic treadmill of consumption. Instead, they believe that living together in a more inclusive society, in a more caring society, a less hierarchical society is how we're going to get happier. I'm not saying they all do this. But there are major themes in the way they approach their life, and one of them is the idea of social inclusion, and they are very involved in politics, too. And they are pushing a lot of the current revival of the workers unionization push which is tied to the involvement of Gen. Z."

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Photo Credit: Mark Ostow

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Second City Works | 'Getting to Yes, And' Podcast - Michèle Lamont: Seeing Others

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Guest: Michèle Lamont | Kelly has a timely conversation with Harvard University professor Michèle Lamont to discuss her new book "Seeing Others: How Recognition Works and How it Can Heal a Divided World."

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66: Seven Ways To Survive Performance Reviews

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Coaching for Leaders: 7 Ways to Survive Performance Reviews 

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Coaching for Leaders: 7 Ways to Survive Performance Reviews 

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66: Seven Ways To Survive Performance Reviews

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Listen to this episode from Coaching for Leaders on Spotify. I've come to the conclusion over the years that pretty much nobody likes performance reviews. Either you are having great dialogue and development conversations with people already and might not need them - or you are forced into conversations that don't set the stage for regular dialogue.

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071: How to make performance conversations not scary

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Listen to this episode from Managing Made Simple for Team Leaders & Small Business Owners on Spotify. Ah the performance review. It means well, but in reality it often created a whole lot of stress for both managers and team members without a ton of benefit.

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BetterUp: Start | Stop | Continue: How to Implement this Retrospective Model

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BetterUp: Start | Stop | Continue: How to Implement this Retrospective Model

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See "Tools & Resources" for prompt questions

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Jump to section What's Start, Stop, Continue? Start, Stop, Continue template When and why you should use Start, Stop, Continue How to run a Start, Stop, Continue exercise Examples of Start, Stop, Continue results Great leaders seek out honest feedback

To make meaningful progress, you often have to look backward before you can start thinking ahead. There are dozens (if not hundreds) of methods for self-reflection and self-improvement when you finish a project, but few are more straightforward than the Start, Stop, Continue model.

The Start, Stop, Continue retrospective model is a simple and effective framework for personal and professional development . With a clear structure for growth, it lets you and your whole team reflect on your efforts from a project or initiative and brainstorm techniques to improve in the future. And when you're ready to learn more about yourself outside of work, you can use it for personal reflection too.

Here's what the method includes, how to implement it, and more about its benefits.

What's Start, Stop, Continue?

The Start, Stop, Continue exercise is a three-part retrospective, or process, that gives you a framework for reflection. It determines what you should start doing, what you should stop doing, and what you should continue to do for future initiatives.

Great leaders know success isn't an end state - it's an iterative process. Each step in the process asks open-ended questions that help you think of ways to create a better workflow or improve team cohesion. This could come in the form of an employee feedback survey , a solo journaling session , or a post-project meeting.

Compared to close-ended questions and numerical rating systems, studies show that the Start, Stop, Continue method is a valuable alternative that results in real-world changes. Academics and educators often use Start, Stop, Continue to collect student feedback and improve the quality of instruction.

Start, Stop, Continue template

An impactful retrospective requires insightful questions , active listening , and an open mind . And when things don't go as planned during a project or new organizational practice, open-ended questions can help you learn from that failure . Even if the project was a success, your team's answers provide clear pathways to growth.

Here are some Start, Stop, Continue example questions for each section to get the conversation started:

Start

These questions address specific actions that could improve the current process - in other words, what you should start doing that you aren't already. Suggestions may include tangible resources, such as software, tools, and quality control measures you should implement, or conceptual ones, such as communication styles or decision-making structures that need a boost.

Try these sample questions for the Start segment of a Start, Stop, Continue exercise:

1. How would you streamline this process?

2. Which challenges did the team fail to account for?

3. What skills, opportunities, or tactics are you not fully leveraging?

4. What do you need to increase the scale of the operation?

Stop

This is the time to find out what needs to go. It may be tough to hear criticism, but constructive feedback is the best way to improve work performance both for you and your team. Be sure to encourage a supportive and diplomatic atmosphere during these conversations. It isn't the time to point fingers or blame others if something went wrong.

These organizational and self-evaluation questions will reveal what's having a negative impact:

1. What made your job harder or wasted your time?

2. What errors or snags do you keep repeating?

3. Which elements of the workflow require the most effort for the least payoff?

4. Are there any initiatives that aren't serving larger organizational goals?

Continue

This section of the Start, Stop, Continue process is all about the things you're already doing right. And after hearing some harsh truths, ending on a positive note can improve morale and let everyone celebrate successes. If a response mentions an element you haven't yet cemented as a core part of your workflow, this is a sign to make it a permanent fixture.

Ask these questions to learn what your or your team's strengths are and double down on those practices:

1. What strategies and tactics made the process easier? In what ways?

2. Which goals are you consistently achieving?

3. What aspects of the workflow are indispensable?

4. Who stepped up when things got tough?

When and why you should use Start, Stop, Continue

The main goal of this retrospective is to make your next project or initiative run more smoothly. Studies have shown that formalized feedback and goal-setting practices increase worker productivity and performance, and Start, Stop, Continue is just one way to accomplish that.

Like most feedback models, it's best to apply this method right after you complete a project or reach a milestone. Setting a meeting date sooner rather than later ensures the triumphs and struggles of the process are fresh on your team's minds. And once you discuss those important points, you can implement changes faster.

Start, Stop, Continue is most valuable:

After you deliver a project

When an initiative fails or succeeds

At the end of the year, either calendar or fiscal

When you feel stagnant

After a sprint in an Agile workflow

During performance reviews

After you put a challenging project to bed, you might be tempted to move on and forget the stress , especially if it didn't go well. Although you should take time to pat yourself on the back - rewarding yourself is crucial - skipping a rigorous review robs you and your team of the chance to learn and grow.

How to run a Start, Stop, Continue exercise

Retrospectives let you and the people you work with open up about the setbacks they faced and explain solutions they'd like to implement in depth. These tips will make your Start, Stop, Continue session a success:

1. Set clear expectations

Before jumping into a team meeting, ensure everyone is on the same page about what it'll look like. Ask yourself what you hope to accomplish, then make that aim explicit. Preface the team exercise with a refresher on your organization's goals and a summary of recent outcomes and results.

Encourage everyone to do some personal reflection and prep work beforehand so you don't miss out on any ideas. Invite participants well ahead of time and include an outline of the structure and subject matter. This gives them the space they need to think of suggestions.

2. Provide a visual aid

Once you gather everyone together, give them something to look at and pay attention to. A visual aid, such as a whiteboard, sticky notes, or a shared spreadsheet, helps organize their ideas and relate them to one another. And if you include a presentation as part of your reflection process, try making it interactive.

3. Stay on track

Careful moderation will ensure your retrospective remains focused and productive. Invite those with the most knowledge and investment in your evaluation target: they'll know the most about how to foster actionable results. Set timers for individual and group brainstorming sessions, and center the discussion on providing helpful types of feedback.

4. Record responses

Without a record of your team's suggestions, a retrospective is just a vent session. Assign someone to take detailed notes that you can review and synthesize into an action plan. Your notetaker should be someone who ideally isn't contributing to the discussion so they can focus on writing down every point.

5. Analyze feedback and create a plan of action

After you've gathered input, look for common themes and find ways to work them into your next project. The results of a Start, Stop, Continue analysis lay an ideal foundation for SMART goals and other strategies that bring ideas to life. And studies show teams who participate in the goal-setting process are more likely to experience productive flow states, so this process will improve workflows all around.

Examples of Start, Stop, Continue results

The Start, Stop, Continue framework can help you reach a wide range of personal and professional goals , from being more efficient to reworking your budget .

Here are some examples of the responses a Start, Stop, Continue session might produce:

Optimizing workflow

Efficiency doesn't happen spontaneously: it requires participation from the entire team. If you're seeking out constructive criticism on your organization's workflow, these are some of the responses you might see:

Start

Implementing a shared digital workspace to track progress on deliverables

Performing weekly 1:1 check-ins between developers and management

Standardizing the format of product feedback

Stop

Submitting feedback after work is finalized

Promising new features without dev approval

Scheduling meetings on crunch days

Continue

Sharing UX research and feedback

Evenly distributing work across teams

Providing quotas, benchmarks, and long-term goal progression at the beginning of the month

Increasing team morale

A satisfied team is more than just productive. Happiness aids personal well-being, success, and healthy habits, all of which can contribute to a better workplace. If you ask your team how to increase their morale, you might receive requests like these:

Start

Celebrating personal milestones, anniversaries, and birthdays

Including all team members in decision-making

Recognizing high achievement alongside areas for improvement

Stop

Micromanaging

Dropping extra work on employees on Fridays

Publicly criticizing team members for their mistakes

Continue

Overcoming procrastination

Start, Stop, Continue feedback isn't just for the office. You can also benefit from it on an individual level, whether you want to improve your work habits or become more disciplined. To reach personal goals, try evaluating yourself with the framework. If you want to be more productive, a personal retrospective may look something like this:

Start

Setting up a standardized reward system for completing tasks

Working on a task as soon as it's assigned

Keeping your phone in a different room during work hours

Stop

Distracting your coworkers with idle conversation

Using social media during work hours

Telling yourself you can finish a task tomorrow if you wake up early

Continue

Great leaders seek out honest feedback

The Start, Stop, Continue retrospective template is invaluable for collecting upward feedback from your team and fueling future growth. Applying it may seem simple, but it requires strong leadership and communication skills .

Structured evaluation methods like this encourage you to hone your soft skills as you take feedback and think creatively about how to apply it. They also test your problem-solving and decision-making skills, asking you to interpret subjective responses into actionable goals. Start, Stop, Continue is a vital tool that you can use in all parts of your life - not just professional.

Whether you want to improve your next project or work on a personal goal, this method can help you get there.

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Start, Stop, Continue Retrospectives: A Complete Guide

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The Start, Stop, Continue retrospective exercise shows you how to improve your organization and adjust goals with your whole team's input.

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The secret to giving great feedback | The Way We Work, a TED series

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HBR: When a Tough Question Puts You On the Spot

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HBR: When a Tough Question Puts You On the Spot

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Amidst the economic and global uncertainty that surrounds us, handling tough questions is an ongoing part of a leader's job. In this piece, the author outlines strategies to answer difficult questions so that you can maintain the trust of your clients and colleagues, keep your relationships intact, and weather any storm.

We've all experienced that moment when someone asks us a question and we're caught unprepared. Maybe a direct report raises a challenging question about layoffs during a town hall meeting, or a client calls you unexpectedly and wants to know what is going to happen in the markets. How can you maintain relationships - and - when you don't have the answers people are seeking?

Difficult Interactions Course

Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning's online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Difficult Interactions. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.

Learn how to resolve those inevitable workplace conflicts.

Learn More & See All Courses

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When a Tough Question Puts You on the Spot

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Amidst the economic and global uncertainty that surrounds us, handling tough questions is an ongoing part of a leader's job. In this piece, the author outlines strategies to answer difficult questions so that you can maintain the trust of your clients and colleagues, keep your relationships intact, and weather any storm.

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HBR: How to Motivate a Top Performer When You Can't Promote Them

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HBR: How to Motivate a Top Performer When You Can't Promote Them

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How to Motivate a Top Performer — When You Can’t Promote Them

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Organizations can’t promote everyone; there will always be high-performing employees who want to get promoted in situations where promotion isn’t possible or requires waiting. This creates a problem for managers and leaders who want to retain top talent, but don’t have flexibility in promotions. The…

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LifeLabs Learning: Watch Feedback Delivered 3 Different Ways

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LifeLabs Learning: Watch Feedback Delivered 3 Different Ways

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If you don't see your role, please email me | beth@talentlab.live | and I will generate & add it to this page.

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Created through SkillAI.IO, below please click on a path to open find some of the fabulous learning plans created by a simple prompt!

| Power Skill Learning Paths | Technical | Functional Learning Paths | | --- | --- | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/6f7e364a-2316-4ad7-ad52-8a8e129b8230 | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/64837764-03af-44ba-8a23-2886c65a03a2 | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/794fe9cd-c687-4a7d-aaa6-93807df70789 | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/89b31909-44bd-4931-a055-cb9fba25a826 | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/2f57e005-b8e2-4549-ba44-06d4023484d5 | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/a5466c03-5985-4f7d-83b4-8deaf37650d1 | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/8923f2f7-3c57-4828-95f0-fd5608da6918 | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/00a453cb-73e7-42e3-a480-6112d045c848 | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/b00b7c91-3c06-46b0-ab0c-b8a5b0c2f09f | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/f9ec0a8b-63e7-4c9b-973a-4fe67ab11cab | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/5ae94b5d-002e-4006-bdee-d970ffd14632 | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/e08838c0-c6ad-4c34-bdce-be4d8d37e2b6 | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/9356b2c3-197c-4e8c-87c2-eadced3ad549 | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/5f8cc793-5871-4069-abcb-755987850c2a | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/ef97c544-448b-4f78-9f5e-9d5a9dc59604 | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/74b67e2d-4ab9-48cd-9a25-9ac5b06905e1 | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/a15f03fc-a891-4ac8-a7c6-8166a7dbf575 | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/6b995879-f5c9-4d70-918c-fe99823c3728 | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/ef97c544-448b-4f78-9f5e-9d5a9dc59604 | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/c6b37d40-a6d1-41d6-ba22-80847a5df72b | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/a1303f8a-a77b-4d67-a2a8-e18e9feaa309 | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/ee687778-9fb9-4470-8464-1e572d804c85 | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/e72a6213-f2bc-4a1a-9050-5d7fc2863d8d | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/7654bedd-6374-416f-b828-3152388daedd | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/ab2bc7c3-8083-493a-a4f1-2bb722569be1 | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/b4b0fe6c-541d-4e51-89b4-a26cd4728c74 | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/b336aa7d-cdb4-4705-9687-112d1e195f93 | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/b0a9d3bb-354c-4e37-8e12-5d13a1554c98 | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/077421a8-2f41-4405-9184-9591a82f5d76 | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/5edb6198-f391-460c-9a35-4d4173b903eb | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/ec844973-8f6b-4a8f-be85-1b69c6190110 | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/25351a25-faa6-4f0a-b896-f35bddf7cb1b | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/6348adf9-e5e1-48af-bd80-521d29f795df | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/bc7a1dc7-18b5-4132-90cd-800e2fe20fba | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/5c351e7b-5870-435c-94cf-5d1a0f18014b | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/67b7cfaa-8cc1-47a3-99ad-c0739bc81e31 | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/c4bedd2d-053a-4af8-8396-5ed637dbfe4a | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/78f705b4-e74a-4522-8836-ec77183e8598 | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/2a22ff00-8385-499d-afb4-cc533d7ffe38 | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/b71ecbdc-ed55-4991-bebf-28d7719ef0bf | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/1dbb6586-f2aa-4d42-b240-0455dc63f84b | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/6375b62b-1e88-4d17-a24f-aef1e2f1308e | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/ca5b2e33-5a83-45ef-a353-5774cb7d3143 | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/269b6422-68b8-4fa9-b4d0-371c9a16e017 | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/6e529b16-2a5d-45bf-81a7-e4af2255632a | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/e1781fef-6b71-4af0-a88a-432203f0c906 | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/461f72c3-eea9-4788-aae2-d45c08c44aaf | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/0b4c4920-616c-4477-993d-102f209a346d | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/1a991b67-fd5c-405b-a61b-bebaa3400823 | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/9fa0d2c1-7f75-433f-963e-cd684cd973eb | | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/b0bc8295-1db4-49f6-b523-b759de5e637a | | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/a9811c3c-fea7-498e-84c2-b86ab632014c | | | https://skillai.io/public/learning-path/ca99180e-15f8-41ff-81de-2ea238c9da82 | | | |

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Created through SkillAI.IO, below please click on a path to open find some of the fabulous learning plans created by a simple prompt!

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Quality Connections: People Leader Prep Guide

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Fast Company: How Managers Can Support Hi-Performers

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Fast Company: How Managers Can Support Hi-Performers

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Employees are 3x More Engaged When They Feel Supported by Managers

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Employees are 3x More Engaged When They Feel Supported by Managers

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Commentators call for more training and development of line managers as survey highlights their impact on the workforce

Compassionate Eye Foundation/James Tse

Employees who feel well supported by their line manager are 3.4 times more likely to feel engaged at work, a study has found.

The study of 50,000 employees by Inpulse found that 81 per cent of those who felt trusted by their line managers were engaged, compared to 28 per cent of employees who didn't.

The survey also revealed that employees feeling trusted and supported had the "greatest impact" on how engaged people were at work.

Balancing individual and organisational power

Inequality at work cannot be solved without love-based leadership

How to manage a quiet quitter

Clare Kelliher, professor of work and organisation at Cranfield School of Management, said the findings underlined the importance of line managers in employee engagement, and advised that organisations invest in their development.

"Organisations need to invest in line manager training to help develop their people management skills and particularly how to demonstrate their trust in and respect for the employees they manage," said Kelliher, she added that it is also key to foster a culture that is "conducive to employee voice" which focuses on employee wellbeing.

The survey found that the majority (80 per cent) of employees felt trusted by their line manager, and 83 per cent felt respected.

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It also found that employees who felt supported by their line managers had an Engagement Index Score of 74 per cent, while those who did not had a score of 22 per cent.

Gemma McCall, chief executive and founder of Culture Shift, advised that managers need to encourage transparency in the workplace and take advantage of their ability to work closely with their employees.

"My advice to line managers would be to empower your employees by encouraging a speak-up culture, which breaks down barriers and creates a safe space to share issues, should they arise," said McCall, who added it is "important not to forget that line managers are in a "unique position to listen to colleagues, and implement real change for the whole team to benefit from".

Anthony Painter, director of policy and external affairs at the Chartered Management Institute, said managers could make a difference for employees at all stages of their working lives, and that the "best managed" teams are fostered by a supportive culture where employees are encouraged to bring their best selves to work and take ownership of their development.

"Employers of all sizes and shapes - in business and in public services - need to equip their managers with the skills and behaviours they need in order to bring out the very best in their teams, including protecting their wellbeing on a day to day basis," said Painter, adding that management, just like everything else," is a skill set and one that needs to be taught and nurtured".

However, Isabel Collins, culture specialist and founder of Belonging Space, said that management training often falls by the wayside in organisations which has a direct impact on employees.

"Too often managers are left unsupported, working from individual [ability] or copying leaders - for good or bad," said Collins, who warned this would result in "an inconsistent and sometimes poor employee experience".

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Employees are three times more engaged when they feel supported by managers, study shows

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Commentators call for more training and development of line managers as survey highlights their impact on the workforce

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Access your Manual of Me to continue working on exploring and communicating how you work best

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TEDTalk: The Happy Secret to Better Work

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TEDTalk: The Happy Secret to Better Work

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We believe we should work hard in order to be happy, but could we be thinking about things backwards? In this fast-moving and very funny talk, psychologist Shawn Achor argues that, actually, happiness inspires us to be more productive.

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Ted: 5 Ways to Create Stronger Connections

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Ted: 5 Ways to Create Stronger Connections

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Robert Reffkin: 5 ways to create stronger connections | TED Talk

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In a tech-obsessed culture, it can be difficult to build genuine relationships with people, especially in the workplace. Robert Reffkin shares his tips and tricks for establishing authentic connections on the job.

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GAINSIGHT: Dos & Don'ts for Performance Cycle Conversations

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GAINSIGHT: Dos & Don'ts for Performance Cycle Conversations

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Love this fun video put together by Gainsight. Watch this all the way through - it's fantastic!

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8 Lessons on Building a Company People Enjoy Working For

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8 Lessons on Building a Company People Enjoy Working For

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Get a daily email featuring the latest talk, plus a quick mix of trending content.

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Patty McCord: 8 lessons on building a company people enjoy working for

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Most companies operate on a set of policies: mandated vacation days, travel guidelines, standard work hours, annual goals. But what happens when a company looks less to control and more to trust? Patty McCord, the iconic former chief talent officer at Netflix, shares the key insights that led her to toss the handbook out the window.

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Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High

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In every workplace, there are three basic kinds of people: givers, takers and matchers. Organizational psychologist Adam Grant breaks down these personalities and offers simple strategies to promote a culture of generosity and keep self-serving employees from taking more than their share.

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A full version of this post with a "generic" career ladder is available in The Coding Career Handbook

"What will it take to get to the next level?"

Of course this is a very open ended question, but it can be nice to set some guide rails around what expectations are in a company. As an individual contributor, career ladders tell me what the company ostensibly values (and, by omission, what it doesn't value).

I recently compiled this list of career ladders and figured I would share it here. Some ladders include nontechnical jobs, I will just look at engineering and engineering management.

Rent the Runway ( spreadsheet): from 2015. Takes a fun D&D inspired Dex/Str/Wis/Cha stats based evaluation, corresponding to technical skill, productivity, impact, and communication/leadership. Management track is also included, with more focus on architecture, hiring, organizational skills, and leadership/salesmanship.

( spreadsheet): from 2019. Breaks down technical skills into code quality/testing, debugging, and scoping/project design, and nontechnical factors to collaboration, citizenship, leadership, and impact. Leadership is interestingly broken down into Autonomy, Judgement, Initiative, and Consensus Building.

( spreadsheet): one of the most well known ladders, detailed but not overwhelming. NOtably, one of the values assessed is Security.

Financial Times ( webapp). Even has an API! lol. Only 4 areas across Technical, Leadership, Delivery, and Communication are assessed. Feels manageable.

Meetup: splits roles into Makers and Managers.

Makers focus on Architecture & framework & software development, Best practices & architecture & code reviews, Technical skills evaluation & mentoring, Introduce new engineering tools & mentor adoption, and Recommend process improvements & support adoption.

Managers focus on Performance evaluation, Career growth, Recruiting & resourcing, Rollout process improvements & adoption of engineering tools and Organization & administrative.

( gist): has tracks for Mobile, Servers, Foundations, Web client, Project Management, Communication, Craft, Initiative, Org design, Accomplishment, Wellbeing, Career development, Evangelism, Community, Recruiting, and Mentorship! Phew!

Starling Software: Uses Big O notation to denote levels, which is a fun shibboleth. Skills are broken out to Computer Science, Software Engineering, Programming, Experience, and Knowledge. This one has a long record on Hacker News but is a good map of things that we can work on.

Brandwatch: explains levels at a high level, and then breaks it out for IC's and Management in this spreadsheet. A total of 15 attributes to work on!

Spotify: famous for its "Squad/Tribe" structure - emphasizes "Steps", with a simple list of five sets of behaviors they want:

Values team success over individual success

Continuously improves themselves and team

Holds themselves and others accountable

Thinks about the business impact of their work

Demonstrates mastery of their discipline

Chuck Groom - this is unusual - personal thoughts on a Job Ladder, though the author is a senior engineering leader at VTS. Good discussions on how having ladders helps, as well as descriptions of Anti-patterns. I love the Principal Engineer antipatterns:

Over-emphasis on scaling or high availability far beyond business needs. Spends too much time chasing the newest "shiny" technology. Doesn't collaborate or ask questions. Condescending. Has "pet" agenda. Pisses off senior leadership.

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A list of the public engineering career ladders I've found

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Brene Brown's Daring Leadership Assessment

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Brene Brown's Daring Leadership Assessment

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Daring leadership is a collection of four skill sets that are teachable, observable, and measurable: Rumbling with Vulnerability, Living into our Values, Braving Trust, and Learning to Rise.

The Daring Leadership Assessment will help you gauge your strengths and your opportunities for growth as a daring leader. On average, the assessment takes less than ten minutes, and you will be able to print or email the results to yourself.

We do NOT store responses or results.

Deep gratitude to everyone who worked on this three-year assessment project. Special thanks to Dr. Ronda Dearing, our senior director of research, and to the MBA and EMBA students at the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University, the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania.

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The Daring Leadership Assessment will help you gauge your strengths and opportunities for growth as a daring leader. Based on the work and research of Brené Brown.

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Is your team psychologically safe? - Liz + Mollie Feel Things

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Lluna Pop: Personal Operating Profile (Make Yours)

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Lluna Pop: Personal Operating Profile (Make Yours)

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What is a Personal Operating Profile (POP)?

Think of a POP like a user manual for a person!

POPs can include information such as working styles, work/life preferences, skills, goals, and even personal information that makes a person unique.

POPs are simple to create and will quickly unlock connection and belonging for your team.

(get started in as little as 5 minutes)

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Create your free Personal Operating Profile (POP) today with LLUNA.

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Goal Setting | Accountability

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FutureMe: Write a Letter to your Future Self

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Write a letter to the future and read the public (but anonymous) letters from others. FutureMe has been delivering letters to the future for millions of people since 2002.

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HBR: 4 Ways to Create a Learning Culture on Your Team

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HBR: 4 Ways to Create a Learning Culture on Your Team

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Research from LinkedIn has shown that half of today's most in-demand skills weren't even on the list three years ago. As a result, there is now a premium on intellectual curiosity and the desire and ability to quickly grow and adapt one's skill set. How can you create a learning culture on your own team or in your organization? First, reward continuous learning. Note that rewarding curiosity is not just about praising and promoting those who display an effort to learn and develop; it's also about creating a climate that nurtures critical thinking, where challenging authority and speaking up are encouraged, even if it means creating discord. Be sure to give people meaningful and constructive feedback - it's hard to improve on anything if you are unaware of your limitations. As a manager, practice what you preach. And finally, hire curious people. It's easier to augment potential than to go against someone's nature.

Technology is disrupting every industry and area of life, and work is no exception. One of the main career implications of the digital revolution is a shift in demand for human expertise. For instance, LinkedIn's talent research shows that half of today's most in-demand skills weren't even on the list three years ago.

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4 Ways to Create a Learning Culture on Your Team

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Research from LinkedIn has shown that half of today's most in-demand skills weren't even on the list three years ago. As a result, there is now a premium on intellectual curiosity and the desire and ability to quickly grow and adapt one's skill set.

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Online Survey Software | Qualtrics Survey Solutions

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Qualtrics sophisticated online survey software solutions make creating online surveys easy. Learn more about Research Suite and get a free account today.

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Working Styles Assessment - Free Work Style Assessment

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Discover your work style with our Work Style Test. Explore your preferences and how to be more fulfilled at work. Practice for the Amazon work style assessment.